I just installed FreeCAD on Ubuntu 20.04 and opened a .stp file, which seems to be valid.

While attempting to work out how to rotate/pan, I found various pages upon Googleing (for example ) which list the usual suggestions one would expect (some combinations of left mouse button, Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and the Windows key). None of these work.

I recall something when using some other program about that Ubuntu preempts the use of certain key combinations which makes this type of functionality not work with some programs. Is there a way around this? For example in Google Maps holding Ctrl + left mouse button rotates as expected, the same as in Windows, so I know it's possible to make it work if the developers do certain things. Is there a way around this limitation in FreeCAD on Ubuntu or am I doing something wrong? FreeCAD isn't of much use if the view can't be rotated/panned.

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Actually this has nothing to do with Ubuntu.

Based on this site with the default mouse 3D setting of CAD the pan and zoom actions involve pressing and holding the middle mouse button, which I find unintuitive.

As an alternative, go to Edit -> Preferences, then set 3D Navigation to Gesture:

Now holding the left mouse button will rotate and holding the right mouse button will pan (rolling the mouse wheel still zooms in/out) which I find much more intuitive.

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